


Mairieux

by BlueCoral



Series: HideKane Week 2017 [1]
Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Fluff, Gaahhh, M/M, day 1-sweet shop au, fail attempt fluff, hidekaneweek2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-18 03:55:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11866167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueCoral/pseuds/BlueCoral
Summary: Apparently, Kaneki was stuck in a sweet shop because the cashier was sleeping and he can't find it in himself to wake him up.





	Mairieux

Kaneki examined the newly stored chocolate for the umpteenth time, fumbling the option to add another purple package to his already piling ones in the basket. He looked over his purchase. Kaneki could conserve more of his payment by scoping some of the sweets out, but the month had tormented his soul relentlessly, and he doubted the next month cared to blow a softer hit to a barely surviving college boy.

If anything, it would be harsher than reality, worse than any hell ever created in world. 

With a defeated mind, Kaneki united the chocolate with the rest of his stress release kit. A quiet snore which had been a background music for him carried on despite the long hour he spent choosing his items. It came from the cashier, who supposed to be in duty but instead of doing his work, he fell into the lure of dream and slumber. Kaneki was greeted by an improper sight of a young man drooled on the tool by the counter when he entered the shop, his head tilted slightly to the back in an uncomfortable way.

The bright chime of bell that sealed off as he opened and closed the door failed to stir the cashier’s sleep. Since the petty noise couldn’t do the job, Kaneki dropped the idea to approach the man himself and awakened him up, as the volume of his voice could be ridiculous sometimes. There were moments it was too low and people couldn’t hear him at all, and at times he could get too loud he disturbing others. His faith on a miracle to happen if he try his plan was on the same level as his dusty of of courage. It just wouldn’t work when he thought too much.

A worker needed to avoid being slack off while on duty at all cost, but noticing how tired the cashier looked, Kaneki let the cashier off for a short period. Just until he done selecting, the customer promised, and he would have to bring the cashier to life so he could pay for his sweets.

Around a half an hour must at least passed as he picked his choices. The sky flourished a dark shade of blue, quite the contrast to the purplish pink view that accompanied him the last time he glanced outside to the street. There’s still quite the amount of citizens crowding the pavement through the sundown time, all with different purposes he rather not play guess now.

Kaneki turned back to his task in hand. He needed to pay soon, or he would be getting home late and thus causing his mother to worry about him. The process only required him to walk to the cashier and call out for his conscious, but Kaneki’s anxiety decide to arise right then, when it hadn’t attack for the past few months since he started his part time job. Perhaps the fact that he didn’t have his colleagues to help him aroused the fear back. Kaneki’s hands’ covered in sweat in no time, and he felt the urge to drop the basket and rub his clammy palms against his shirt…

To which Kaneki immediately put his items on top of the arranged chocolates on the shelf to crouch down and cut back a nausea. He suspected his empathy had something to do with this. The cashier could have been a lazy person and decided to sleep just because and Kaneki would probably found himself in the same situation. He didn’t dare to bother someone’s sleep because he couldn’t. He couldn’t do it to anybody and-

The bell rang.

Kaneki gasped, his hand shot up to cup his mouth immediately. Clatters of heels on the marble floor destroyed the otherwise prolonged peace. The shop, which was a delightful pleasure in it small space was consumed in a sudden unfitted rage. An ear-splitting slam on a hard surface jolted Kaneki up from his hunching figure, and he suppressed yet another sharply drawn breath from erupted out of his throat.

“Nagachika!” Kaneki lost his anxiety to the bloodcurdling scream. He heard something fell off, and a wince detached the silence in the air before a lady retained a demand. “What are you doing, you dumb ass? I hired you to work, not to sleep in my shop! I pay you, Nagachika Hideyoshi, not for nothing.What if customers come in and get a service as bad as this. You wouldn’t know how it feels because you aren’t even worth any value here and blah blah blah..”

There were continuous banging on what Kaneki imagined to be the top of the cashier’s desk, unpleasantly broke through her rants once every few seconds. Kaneki couldn’t take it anymore. Her words hinged with anger, one that somehow he felt wasn’t fully cause by catching a worker under her did a sloppy job. 

It was something when someone was lousy in their job, but it was something else when a boss used their power to teach their underlings as they wanted. Yoshimura taught him that dedication was far more important than a good attitude, although it was the latter people tended to focus on more.

Kaneki picked up his basket of sweet, realizing that his hands was shaking when the basket unstably wavered a little in his hold, whether caused by fear or anxious he couldn’t tell. Before it getting out of control, Kaneki enclosed both of his hands on two sides of the basket, taking deep long breathes to gain strength.

When he finally made himself appeared, the insanity of his plan shoved right into his mind on spur of moment. Kaneki saw the cashier flicked a shocked gaze to him, while the lady’s back faced him. She was big, about twice the size of him and could easily strangle Kaneki to death if he stepped on the wrong tile. As he felt his determination slipped away, he squeaked a feeble “ex-excuse me?”

Two pairs of eyes looked at him with different glint. One looked like a bear staring at a hunter, full of wrath for disturbing it’s meal, and the other one projected an image of a defenseless prey with relief displayed all over his face.

Kaneki bestowed a stiff smile, not at all convincing as a customer because his presence wasn’t known by both parties at all until this very moment. The lady scrutinized him, her mouth clamped shut with fury still transmitted under her menacing eyes. It was obvious she bottled up the rest of her words as she quietly glared back at her worker, causing the man to flinch and gave out what could be seen as affirmation to whatever unspoken deal they made in a split second.

Clicks of heels once again interrupted a deadly pause after an agony of Kaneki being ignored for his right a little while Nagachika bear hardship of his own, slowly disappearing behind a closed door with the sign ‘For Staff Only’.

Now, with only Kaneki and the cashier in the shop, the air changed into something more of its’ normal circumstance; gentle with gratifying mix of sweet and joy, tinged with bittersweet where it didn’t matter. Kaneki plodded to the counter, the remnant of shiver deduced to the worry of facing Nagachika alone. Part of the blame was on him after all. He should have not let his pity took over his action, could have avoid the whole ordeal if he just a tad more confident in himself. 

Nagachika was smiling, first to himself and next to the approaching customer. His eyes flicked from the top of the desk, where things were a bit messed up, to Kaneki, warm eyes shone with a bright gleam. Shown not the disappointment, nor any fear of almost losing his job, but content and pure bliss at him. “Welcome to Mairieux Sweet Shop, dearest customer.” He said with a mild voice, careful not to surprise Kaneki. “Or maybe a sorry would be more suitable, I guess.” He chuckled, for reasons Kaneki didn’t understand.

Kaneki put his basket on the counter, letting Nagachika do his part. He mimicked the cashier’s expression, albeit smaller and refined, as he still felt the guilt lurking inside his heart. “It’s fine. Kind of my fault too.”

“Nu-uh. You come in at the right time. Pretty good for a knight in shining armor for me.” Nagachika winked, bringing the air up with him. 

Kaneki tittered as Nagachika did the same. He held this nostalgia feels, the man, like Kaneki was meeting a long separated close friend. It was as if Kaneki was comfortable with him, despite that they just knew each other about a few minutes ago. Nagachika was friendly, very much he acted akin to an imaginary friend Kaneki could never get, one that understood him in and out.

When he finished paying for his items, the sky was completely dark. Kaneki stuck with the awareness of his bad conscience over responsibility, and damn if Nagachika would ever mentioning it out again.

Picking up his plastic bag of sweets, Kaneki looked at the cashier, who now focused on settling something on the counter. His head stooped down a bit, creating shadow over the upper side of his face. He almost seemed sad, almost, but Kaneki wasn’t sure if it was because of the effect.

He doubted he will forget about this agitating feeling soon, because Kaneki visited the shop quite the many times, so if the lady didn’t change her worker, that’s mean he would be seeing Nagachika again. Kaneki fished his hand into the plastic, pulling out a random package and slide it on the top of the desk. There. It might be enough to at least brighten up someone’s mood, right? He said nothing more other than “thank you.” and headed out-

“Hey, you think you’re leaving something?”

Kaneki recoiled as the cashier called out for him. He heard steps coming, before a hand landed on his shoulder. Kaneki’s mouth curled down. So much for being silent with his attempt to make amend.

He turned around. Nagachika stretched out the chocolate he purposely left. It was his favorite flavor too, a classic chocolate with almond. “You should have feign blind, you know.” Kaneki sounded a bit annoyed, where the whole of that feeling came from being embarrassed. He changed his position, facing the door again.

It didn’t take long before he understood.

“Oh.”

Before Nagachika could say anything else, Kaneki was out of the door, the bell jingled once.


End file.
